Chandigarh, Jan 1 (IANS) A Haryana court Friday gave interim relief to disgraced former state police chief S.P.S. Rathore and allowed him to avail of bail till Jan 7 if he is arrested for the two fresh cases registered against him in connection with the 1990 Ruchika molestation case.
The district and sessions court in Panchkula near here said that Rathore would be allowed to avail interim bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.100,000 in each of the two cases if he is arrested by the Haryana police before Jan 7.

The Haryana government has been issued notice for Jan 7 and asked to submit its reply to the court Jan 6, when the matter for hearing of his anticipatory bail plea comes up again.

Ruchika, a budding tennis player, was molested by Rathore here Aug 12, 1990. She committed suicide three years later (1993), unable to cope with the harassment of her family and torture of her brother by the Haryana police, which slapped false car theft cases on him.

Rathore was Dec 21 convicted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Chandigarh. He was sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.

Rathore was Tuesday booked by Panchkula police in two fresh cases, including the non-bailable attempt to murder charge, after Ruchika’s family filed fresh complaints.